Blood/Blood Cells and Cellular Components ›› Red Blood Cells ›› Abnormal

Heinz Bodies*


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› Microscopic Features:

• Purple-blue inclusions visible only after supravital stain
• Composed of denatures hemoglobin (usually oxidized hemoglobin)

› Normal % blood-PB, marrow-BM, lymphoid tissue-LN:

• PB: None
• BM: None
• LN: None

› May Resemble:

• Hemoglobin H inclusions (visible only after supravital stain, similar to Heinz bodies) [Compare]
• Pappenheimer bodies (visible with and without iron stain) [Compare]
• Basophilic stippling (No special stain required) [Compare]
• Howell-Jolly body (No special stain required) [Compare]
• Malaria infection [Compare]
• Babesia infection [Compare]
• Fungal infection
• Artifacts (e.g. Stain precipitate)

› Differential Diagnoses:

G6PD deficiency Chemical poisoning-induced Oxidant drug-induced

› Classic Immunophenotype:

• N/A

› Cartoon Image:


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for direct comparison
› Misc:

• Note: Basophilic stippling is ribosomal inclusions in RBCs, while papenheimer bodies are iron deposits, Heinz bodies are precipitated hemoglobin seen with special stain (He for Heinz and He for Hemoglobin), and Howell Jolly bodies are DNA remnants